Former White House adviser Van Jones on Monday defended recent remarks he made against “so-called libertarians” by saying, “I think we have to start punching back.”

In a March speech to the Occupy movement in Los Angeles, Jones had called libertarianism a “despicable ideology.”

“They say they’re Patriots but they hate everybody in America who looks like us,” the former Green Jobs czar explained. “They say they love America but they hate the people, the brown folk, the gays, the lesbians, the people with piercings, ya know ya’ll.”

During a Monday interview, Russia Today’s Alyona Minkovski asked Jones if he had fallen into the trap of extremist rhetoric with those remarks.

“I think we have to start punching back and fighting back,” he replied. “Here’s the deal: If you can’t take it, don’t dish it out.”

Noting his statement was “overly broad,” Jones added, “But that’s American politics. You guys should know that. American politics, we mix it up.”